Hartford Business Journal

www.HartfordBusiness.com July 27, 2015 • Hartford Business Journal 3 Continued Hartford's 100 Pearl office tower a public art showcase By Gregory Seay gseay@HartfordBusiness.com H artford has long been synonymous with the arts. It's home to America's oldest public art museum, The Wad- sworth Atheneum. Outdoor sculptures dot the city's various parks and greenspaces. But the city also appears to be one of the few in America to feature dedicated public- art space inside one of downtown Hartford's privately owned, blue-sheened skyscrapers — 100 Pearl St. Since 2010, when a previous owner bought the tower, about 1,100 square feet of floor space, plus 96 feet of wall space, all just off the build- ing's main foyer, has been dedicated to show- casing the works of various artists, primarily those based in the Greater Hartford region. Largely because of its rotating ensemble of art, the 100 Pearl Street Gallery, as it's known, also has become a popular reception venue with corporate and nonprofit hosts, says Kate McOmber, director of communica- tions/donor relations at the Greater Hartford Arts Council, a 100 Pearl tenant that manages the art displays. "We get pretty good turnout for those,'' McOmber said. "We're showcasing local art- ists, many of whom are trying to earn a living.'' 100 Pearl's new owner — Brooklyn, N.Y.- based Shelbourne Global Solutions LLC, which acquired it in March — is committed to retain- ing the gallery space, said Charles Carrow, of Carrow Realty, a New York realty brokerage that often works with Shelbourne on deals. So successful has Pearl Street been with exhibitors and visitors that the arts council is soliciting exhibitors through Jan. 2017. The gallery averages five exhibitions a year. The advance exhibition calendar provides several benefits, McOmber said: First, artists are better able to plan out how much time they need to complete works for display at the Pearl Street gallery. Another, she said, is that the arts council can coordinate both its exhibition and reception calendars to accom- modate exhibitors and reception hosts. On July 17, the Veteran's Art Foundation ended its two-month-long showcase of ex- combat soldiers' therapeutic production of art, including oil on canvas, photography on metal, fabric motifs and other art forms, at 100 Pearl's first-floor gallery, just off the main foyer. "Our goal is to work with veterans to help them heal through the arts,'' said Veteran's Art Foundation Executive Director Virginia Iacobucci. Iacobucci said that while the foundation has held exhibits at Real Art Ways in Hartford all the way to New Haven, she is unaware of any other urban or suburban Connecticut office buildings that feature public art galleries. "It's a huge benefit,'' she said of 100 Pearl's public gallery. "It's a wonderful space. It's a very accessible space to people downtown.'' Jose Feliciano, the arts council's grant program manager, said the gallery's open- ing coincided with 100 Pearl's purchase for a reported $18 million by previous owner The Silverman Group of New Jersey. At the time, Silverman Group executives vowed to restore 100 Pearl inside and out, including unveiling a list of upgrades and amenities like a tenant lounge area/café on one of the upper floors and a first-floor concierge sta- tion. The art gallery was one of those amenities. During the Veteran's Foundation exhibit, a number of pieces were displayed and most were for sale. Among them was an acrylic painting by Anthony D. Arnold, priced at $200. On an opposite wall hung a pair of somber paintings by ex-medic Michelle Thomas. One, titled "Strange Roots,'' was priced at $4,500. Neither the landlord nor the Arts Council charges exhibitors or their artists to display at 100 Pearl. However, the Veteran's Founda- tion's Iacobucci says the nonprofit shares in the proceeds on works the combat-artists sell, with 80 percent going to the artist and 20 percent to the foundation. Next up on 100 Pearl's exhibition sched- ule, from Aug. 3 through Sept. 11, are the works of renowned Wethersfield commercial photographer Jack McDonnell. His "Paral- lax'' collection will feature color photos of a number of downtown Hartford buildings and landmarks — all shot with extreme telephoto and wide-angle lenses. McDonnell's works also are on the walls of many Hartford region office buildings, hospitals and colleges, said his spouse-business partner Paula McNamara. "Exhibiting there is great because people who work downtown will stop in and look,'' said McConnell, who has exhibited at least one other time at 100 Pearl. "I have always directed my works at public spaces, rather than museums and galleries,'' said McConnell. "I think I hit a different kind of audience by going into [100 Pearl].'' Jim Morgan visited the gallery recently. Morgan said he was drawn because Hartford 860.871.1111 Toll Free: 800.741.6367 nemsi.com License #'s: E1-104939 • S1-302974 • P1-203519 • F1-10498 • SM1-192 • MC-1134 MECHANICAL • ELECTRICAL • PLUMBING • SHEET METAL • BUILDING AUTOMATION • FACILITIES SERVICES FACILITY SOLUTIONS…ONE SOURCE Only one company can build, power, protect, and maintain the critical systems in virtually every type of facility. Our clients trust us to deliver end-to-end facilities solutions, so they can focus on their core business. We design, install, maintain, and protect systems in: Industrial Facilities Manufacturing Facilities Commercial Facilities Higher Education Facilities Healthcare Facilities Pharmaceutical Facilities The 100 Pearl St. Gallery draws visitors, many of them downtown workers, to the works of mostly Hartford area artists, says Greater Hartford Arts Council staffers Jose Feliciano (left) and Kate McOmber. H B J P H O T O | G R E G O R Y S E A Y

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